Something Positive
by Mitch
Summary: Surprisingly, someting positive happens after Mihoshi's tragic death.


  
Something Positive  
by Mitch  
wells17@gte.net  
  
It happened so suddenly. During one of their adventures in space,  
a space pirate, that the Masaki family was fighting, fataly struck down   
Mihoshi. The pirate was defeated, ironically by an enraged Ryoko, but  
the loss remained. The worst part was the look of shock on Mihoshi's  
body. She never saw it coming.  
  
Mihoshi was buried on her home planet with full Galaxy Police   
honors. The Masaki family were there as well as Mihoshi's grandfather  
and mother. It was Kiyone who broke the news of her partner to them   
and Tenchi who gave them his sympathes, saying that he should have done  
something. Even in the midst of grief, Mihoshi's family told him that  
she knew the risks when she became a law officer and thanked Tenchi for  
trying so hard for so very long.  
  
There was understandable tension in the Masaki house from that   
point on. Everyone went on buisness as usual, save for the daily   
praying to Mihoshi's spirit, but it just wasn't the same. Sasami was   
less cheerful, she and Mihoshi were rather close. Ryoko and Ayeka   
weren't fighting as much, it wasn't the same without Mihoshi to mediate   
between them. Washu tried to lose herself in her work. Tenchi tried   
to do the same with his chores and his training, but he just couldn't   
forgive himself.  
  
The most noticable griving was from Kiyone. She was acting rather  
distant from that moment. She just wasn't "all there".  
  
One evening, Kiyone was sitting in her room when Tenchi came up to  
fetch her for dinner.  
  
"I'm not hungry," said Kiyone, which was a half-truth.  
  
Concerned, Tenchi entered. "Kiyone, you want to share something?  
If..if you don't, that's okay..."  
  
"No, it's not okay." She sighed. "We'll talk later."  
  
-----  
  
After dinner, Kiyone walked past Sasami's room and heard her   
crying. She was about to enter when she heard Tenchi's voice.  
  
"Just..let it out Sasami. Let it out."  
  
Kiyone knew she should leave, but she couldn't help but admire   
Tenchi's brotherly love toward Sasami. She needed someone like that to   
get throught this time. Kiyone secretly left them alone.  
  
-----  
  
"Tenchi?" Kiyone knocked on Tenchi's door that afternnon. "It's  
Kiyone. Can we talk?"  
  
"Oh, sure." Kiyone entered.  
  
"Tenchi, I heard you talking to Sasami. That was very sweet of   
you. She and Mihoshi...they were close, you know"  
  
"Yeah," said Tenchi, "but I still feel rotten about the whole   
thing..."  
  
"Look, Tenchi! Mihoshi was my partner! I was supposed to watch   
her back and I've been doing it for a long time! And then, the one   
time I didn't..."  
  
Kiyone started to tear up. She looked at Tenchi's shocked face.  
  
"I'm...I'm sorry. It's just that...you're not the only who..."  
  
"It's all right, Kiyone. I guess I've been hard on myself. I   
should have realized..."  
  
"It's okay, Tenchi. You know what's weird? I've hated Mihoshi for  
so long. I never wanted this to happen, but I thought things would be   
easier on us both with her gone but...I feel like I'm missing an arm  
and a leg. She was my extra pair of hands. I feel like I've been cut  
in half. I think I might be...missing her. But I hated her, didn't   
I?"  
  
"I think," said Tenchi, "that you should figure that out for   
yourself."  
  
Kiyone was silent. She nodded and thanked Tenchi for listening.  
  
Sometime later, Kiyone went to see Tenchi again.   
  
"Tenchi," she said, "I guess I should tell you. It wasn't Mihoshi  
I hated, but her incompetance...and it's too easy to associate those   
two things. You know,...she really liked you."  
  
"She did?" asked Tenchi, "I mean, I've seen some hunches..."  
  
"Well," explained Kiyone, "she had some feelings for you, but she   
didn't want to fight over you. I'm sorry. I guess I shouldn't   
have..."  
  
"It's all right, Kiyone. You know, ever since she's been gone,   
it's been like, well, like the sun's burnt out or something. Things  
just...aren't as bright as they used to be."  
  
"I admit," said Kiyone, "that her outlook...it contrasted with   
mine, and that bothered me...but it made me feel better about things   
sometimes."  
  
There was some silence. "Feeling better now?" asked Tenchi.  
  
"Some. You?"  
  
"I guess. It's...good to talk with you, Kiyone."  
  
"You too."  
  
Months passed. Sasami and Ryo-Ohki started spending more time with   
Kiyone. Their shared loss and their honest liking of each other made  
them closer friends. Washu was now more open with her lab work. Most   
of the security was to vainly keep Mihoshi out anyway. The little   
scientist now spent more time with the family.  
  
More obviously, Tenchi and Kiyone got closer. Eventually, they got   
very close.  
  
"Tenchi, I think I...I..."  
  
Tenchi held Kiyone's hands and looked into her eyes. "I love you  
too."  
  
After they went steady, Ryoko and Ayeka felt like they lost both  
the obsticle and the object. Without something to stop them and   
something to gain, they actually became better friends, although they  
still argued.  
  
Sasami and Washu were happy for Tenchi and Kiyone and felt that  
Mihoshi would be happy too.  
  
One night, the young couple were looking at the stars together.  
  
"You ever think that Mihoshi arranged this?"  
  
"All I know for certain is that she'd want us to be happy."  
  
They kissed. Then, they looked at the sky again.  
  
"Look, a new star."  
  
"It's beautiful."  
  
"Someting familar about it..."  
  
END 


End file.
